


Discordant Harmonies

by moonwatcher13



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Basketball, F/F, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 17:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16978581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonwatcher13/pseuds/moonwatcher13
Summary: She-Ra Real World College!Basketball AU. Adora is on Brightmoon College's basketball team, Glimmer is on the cheerleading squad. Catra's on a rival team, Horden University. They should be apart, but chance keeps forcing them together.{Adora/Catra/Glimmer is main pairing, but duets will happen as situations come up.}[ This is a one-shot for now, but is probably going to end up being a collection of one-shots dealing with various fluff/angst tropes (bed-sharing, enemies to lovers, frustration with parents, useless lesbians etc.) I don't have the project management or time to make this a coherent story, but i will do the best I can. Tags will update as necessary. ]





	Discordant Harmonies

**Author's Note:**

> They were supposed to be traveling to just another basketball tournament, but thanks to a massive snowstorm, Adora is stuck in a hotel with Glimmer and a blast from the past. And oh look, there's only one bed :)
> 
> Look, this is self-indulgent fluff of the highest order
> 
> [ Sooo.......This is my first successfully written story in a while, and i can't promise how long the motivation will last. But i will try to update as much as possible. If any readers have any fluff/angst tropes they want to see involving this relationship, leave a comment and i'll see what i can do. ]

Adora always hated travel games. It meant hours of time wasted in a cramped bus that always reeked of something, coupled with a driver that seemed to think hitting potholes was his job in life. Surrounded by her teammates, all of whom were trying to win the “who can talk over everyone else the loudest” award. There was too much noise to focus, it was too cramped to study, and too bumpy to sleep for any reasonable amount of time. Even the thrill of dominating on the basketball court did little to improve her day when faced with the prospect that the second the game ended, she would be faced with a seemingly even longer ride home.

Until recently.

Now Adora wished the bus trips would last longer, if only because it gave her an excuse to spend more time together with her friends. Between an almost crippling amount of college coursework and daily basketball practice, Adora had almost no time to spend with Glimmer and Bow outside of late night study sessions or those brief free moments she could spare on weekends. Being stuck on a bus together gave them time to relax, vent or just enjoy each other’s company. Usually anyways. 

This trip was different, mainly because it was snowing so hard the bus driver could barely see in front of their windshield, and they had been sitting in place for over half an hour, stuck in traffic. Everyone was quickly getting antsy, split between a desire to make it to their hotel for the night or just convince Coach Angella to just turn around and go home.

Soon after, however, the decision was taken out of their hands, as a police office informed them that the highway was closed down due to bad weather conditions. Unsure of what to do Angella directed the bus driver to a nearby hotel so they would at least have somewhere to spend the night. 

However, based on how frustrated Angella was upon returning to the bus, it seemed everyone had the same idea. 

Coach Angella was a tall, stern dark skinned woman with long auburn hair she always kept in a bun. But even she was beginning to show the strain as she quieted down the bus of rowdy basketball players and cheerleaders. 

“Everyone, I have good news and bad news. The good news is the hotel has some open rooms. The bad news is, they don't have nearly enough due to the weather conditions.” She sighed before continuing, her tone stern. 

“One of the other teams attending the tournament this weekend, Horden University, are also stuck here, and their coach has graciously offered to share some of their rooms with us. As such, no one will be sleeping on the floor, though it may be a bit crowded in some cases.” People started grumbling but Angella quieted them with a glare. “Get your things from the bus and see me for your room assignments in the lobby. And know this; i will not tolerate any fighting. Like it or not, we’re stuck together for the night, so be civil.”

Angella left without another word, and moments later the bus erupted into bouts of gossip. Adora turned to her friends and said “Well, this sucks. We’re probably going to get split up. Guess no late night movie binge.” 

Bow, ever the optimist, grinned as he said back “Aw cmon Adora, look on the bright side. This is our chance to meet some new and fun people, maybe make some new friends.” Glimmer turned to him and said “they’re our rivals Bow. Adora’s not here to make friends, she’s here to win. Cmon, lets get our room assignments and get this over with.”

As expected, Angella split them up, sending Bow off to room with a pair of fellow male cheerleaders from Horden, before turning to Adora and Glimmer. “You two are rooming with one of the Horden bench players, i’m not sure who. Get some rest, according to the weather report, it should stop snowing soon and we will leave as early as possible tomorrow morning.” She paused, her gaze intensifying. “And Glimmer, i expect you to behave yourself.” 

“Ugh Mom, why are you always like this. I’m not a child anymore, stop treating me like one.” Glimmer shouted before grabbing her bag and room key and walking towards their room in a huff, which was thankfully on the first floor. Angella sighed and said “Adora, please try to keep my daughter out of trouble.” before turning to the next players in line. 

Adora grabbed her bags and ran after Gimmer, managing to catch up to her before she got locked out of the room. Glimmer threw her bag to the ground in a huff and collapsed onto the bed with a loud groan while Adora took a moment to take in their surroundings. The room was spacious, the back wall dominated by a massive king sized bed, a couch, desk and TV on the adjacent walls. Based on the sounds coming from the bathroom, the rooms other occupant was showering while listening to some pop song Adora couldn’t quite place. 

Adora took a moment to look around while Glimmer dropped her bags and flung herself onto the bed with a loud groan. “Who do you think we're stuck with, and what are the odds they're willing to take the couch”.

“I don't care who it is as long as it's not Entrapta, I don't trust her to not replace our water with her special enhanced protein shakes. Again.”

The shower shut off, as Adora got out her pajamas, wanting nothing more then to cuddle up with Glimmer and fall asleep. But she had to play nice, at least until they figured out the sleeping situation.

But when their roommate walked out, Adora found herself too shocked to speak. Until Catra said “Hey Adora. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Catra? What are you doing here.”

Catra remained silent as she sauntered into the room, a towel wrapped around her shoulders, wearing a sports bra and athletic shorts. She looked good, better than the last time Adora had seen her. Her hair was still unkempt but her body had become sharper, more defined, her lean muscles and tattoos on full display.

Not that Adora was staring, but she seemed to have acquired a few more. A multicolored snake stretched down most of her left arm and wrapped around her wrist, a tiger covered her right side and a large tree dominated her back, it’s trunk and roots disappearing beneath her shorts. Adora followed it down and let her gaze linger before realizing she was not blatantly ogling Catra. 

Adora forced her gaze away from Catra’s ass as Catra turned to her and said “Guess you didn't hear, Lonnie got injured and is out for the season, so they brought me up. I'm starting forward tomorrow.”

Upon reaching the center of the room her eyes fell upon the still groaning Glimmer before asking “whose this?”  
Adora shook her head for a second, wondering how her luck could be so awful, before pointing “Catra, meet Glimmer. Glimmer, meet Catra.”

Glimmer raised one hand in greeting while Catra narrowed her eyes. “so I guess you're my roommates. Well I was here first, so I already got the left side of the bed. You two can fight over who takes the couch.”

Upon hearing that, Glimmer shot up, desperation in her eyes as she glared at Adora. “oh hell no. I’ve have been stuck in that bus for hours. I'm sleeping on a bed tonight if I have to fight you for it.”

Catra chucked briefly “well then I guess that leaves the couch to Adora.” she smirked, her eyes glinting mischievously “Unless Adora would like to curl up at my feet, for old times sake.”

At Glimmers confused expression, Adora explained “Glimmer, remember how I mentioned my old high school girlfriend. Well…” she trailed off as Glimmer put two and two together, looking back and forth between them several times. “You two used to date? No offense Adora, but you carry around a school rulebook in your backpack, and she seems like…”

“A troublemaker, a bitch, a miscreant?” Catra chimed in. “All of the above and more. But I'm fun at parties and can still wrap Adora around my little finger, which is all that matters.” She smirked before turning to Glimmer, regarding her closely, one hand on her hip and head cocked to the side. “So, what position do you play? You’re too short to be a power forward.”

“I’m not on the team, I’m one of the cheerleaders.” Glimmer replied, standing to glare at Catra, though she had to look upward to do so. “And i'm not short, all of you are just tall as shit. Anyway, I'm in dire need of a shower, unless one of you needs the bathroom”

After a few seconds with no response Glimmer wandered off, leaving Adora alone with Catra, who was looking at her with a strange expression on her face.

Unable to match her gaze, Adora went to set up the pullout couch, only to quickly discover it was either stuck, or broken, or both. And she was too tired to bother with it, resigning herself to a somewhat awkward sleeping arrangement for the night. “Guess we'll have to share the bed, it's big enough for the three of us. I'll take the middle.” she looked over, and Catra was still staring at her blankly.

“What?” Adora asked.

Catra was silent for a few more moments, before saying “I thought I would be angry, seeing you for the first time like this. But I'm not. I'm not anything. It’s….odd”

Oh, so they were going to go there. Great. “What could you possibly still be angry about? I'm not the one that spent 6 months ignoring dozens of text messages and pleas to meet up or talk about this.”

Catra remained silent for a few seconds, her head bowed, before she breathed in sharply and glared at Adora. If Catra wasn't angry before, she certainly was now. “oh no, you don't get to play that card. You abandoned me first, remember.” she moved closer, her hands balled into fists.

“Catra, I didn't abandon you. We've been over this.” Adora vaguely registered their voices were getting louder, and some part of her hoped Glimmer couldn't hear their argument.

“we've wanted to play basketball since we were kids. I got recruited by Brightmoon college, not Hordens University like you did. What was I supposed to do, say no and sit in the stands watching you play?”

Catra said nothing, instead advancing on Adora. She back pedaled until her back was against a wall and Catra’s face was almost touching hers. “You promised we would get out of the orphanage and go to college together, remember. And you left me there, a month early. Alone. What do you think happened next?”

Adora felt the blood drain from her face. “Catra, what are you talking about?”

Catra looked to the side, tears welling in her eyes. “The day after you left, that bitch threw me out. I came back to find my things in the trash or gone, given to the other kids. She said I was worthless without you, and wasn’t worth the floor space.”

Catra turned around and seemed to curl in on herself. “I spent a month on the street with nothing except what I could scavenge or steal. The only reason I have a bed or food now is because of the scholarship. I’ve been working two part time jobs just to afford school supplies, never mind clothes and the hundreds of other things I lost. All because you left.”

Adora was too shocked to move, and somehow managed to whisper “Catra, I didn't know. I couldn't know. I'm sorry.” she finally moved, desperate to hug Catra, but she just stepped back further.

“Don't Adora. Just don’t.” Catra turned, her eyes dry and hard. “I've made it this far without you, I don't need you butting in now. So just drop it.”

Adora recognized the look on Catra’s face. Pushing her further would be pointless at best. So she swallowed her feelings and said “ok. But can we be civil, for tonight at least. Glimmer is stressed as it is, tomorrow's her first time performing.”

Catra remained silent for a second before sighing “Fine, I'll play nice for the sake of your girlfriend.”

Adora felt a blush creep on her face as she quickly shot back “She's not my girlfriend.”

Catra grinned, now back to her usual demeanor, and put her hands behind her head. “Well then I guess you won't mind if I ask her out. As a cheerleader, she's probably very flexible.” her eyebrows moved suggestively.

Adora launched herself at Catra and tackled her onto the bed before she realized what she was doing, pinning her shoulders to the mattress “Glimmers mine, back off.”

Catra laughed, and the sound made Adora’s face flush even hotter. “Still so easy to tease, huh Adora.” her smile became wistful, gentle, and for a moment Adora felt like they were back at the orphanage. “it's good to see some things haven't changed.”

“Um, if you two are going to get it on, I can always crash with Bow” Adora shot off Catra, banging against the wall as Catra laughed again, louder and fuller, as Glimmer exited the shower and reentered the sleeping area. The shower seemed to have relaxed her slightly, but her shoulders were still stiff with worry.

Without a word she sweeps past Glimmer, her hair still wet from the shower, and enters the bathroom, her thoughts swirling. She needed to shower, to relax. An ice cold shower.

Adora emerged 20 minutes later, feeling refreshed and exhausted from the day, to find Catra and Glimmer sitting next to each other on the bed, hunched over.

Halfway to the bed, she heard Catra saying “So Adora got so high she was on the floor, curled into a ball, laughing uncontrollably while chanting she was going to die for like 20 minutes straight. And I tried to help her but I was laughing so hard I could barely stand up.”

Adora looked over Catra’s shoulder and immediately realized what they were looking at. Displayed for the world to see on Catra's old flip-phone was Adora, sitting on the floor of the orphanage, curled into a ball, her face contorted in an expression that was a mix of horror and laughter. “Catra, you promised to delete those photos.”

Catra looked back, a massive shit eating grin on her face. “Oh hey Adora. I've just been telling Glimmer here some stories about us in high school and showing her a few pictures of the events. Like the time you ate my pot brownie.” her grin grew even wider. “Or junior prom.”

Terror pulsed through her at the memory. Surely even Catra wasn’t that cruel. Right? “You wouldn't.”

Catra turned to Glimmer, her words flowing like the sweetest honey. “Glimmer, do you want to see Adora’s photos from Junior prom. The theme was 1920s and her choice of fashion was inspirational”

Unable to take it, Adora made a mad grab for the phone. “Give me that, I'm going to burn it.” Catra rolled to the side as Adora flopped onto the bed, only for Glimmer to grab her arms before she could snatch the phone from Catra and break it in half on her knee. Glimmer turned toward her, a pleading look on her face. “C’mon Adora, how bad could it be?”

“You don't understand Glimmer, its awful” Adora wailed, but in that brief second Catra located the dreaded picture and shoved the phone in Glimmers direction. There for all of them to see, was Adora. Clad in an awful bright yellow and floral print dress, her awkward smile showing her braces on full display.

For five blissful, wonderful seconds Glimmer was silent, and part of Adora prayed she was too shocked to speak. Then she started laughing so hard Adora had to grab her to keep her from rolling off of the bed. Catra joined in shortly after, and Adora let Glimmer go in a huff, now happy to let either of them suffer from their enjoyment of past Adora’s fashion disasters.

Eventually the laughter ended as Glimmer wiped tears from her eyes and turned to find Adora still sulking. Unable to resist she wrapped Adora in a hug “Aw c’mon Adora, we all have embarrassing memories from high school. I’m sorry for laughing at you.”

Adora relented, unable to remain angry at Glimmer for long. “Fine fine, I admit it was a terrible look. But you’ll definitely delete the photos, right Catra”

She looked over to find Catra texting someone furiously. “Huh, yeah sure, whatever.” A few seconds later she heard Glimmer’s phone buzz and decided that was a problem for later. “Look, can we please just go to bed, it’s been a long day and I don’t want to be tired for the game tomorrow.”

Glimmer groaned and rolled to the side, dramatically flopping onto the bed. Adora felt cold at the loss of contact. “Ughhhh, don’t talk about tomorrow. I hope the storm never ends.” Catra raised an eyebrow, and Adora explained. “Her mom is the coach of the cheerleading team, and is a little strict with regards to what she will let them do.”

Glimmer raised her head enough to chime in “You mean unimaginative and boring. She hasn’t allowed us to perform anything besides the same basic routines all year, and it’s driving everyone insane.” She sat up and started pummeling one of the beds pillows, venting her frustration “I’ve complained to her over and over but she just never listens, it’s like she doesn’t even care what I have to say.”

“Whoa whoa, calm down Sparky, I have a better way to relax then beating up our bedspread.” Catra spread out her legs and tapped her thigh. “Lay down, I'll see if I can work out the kinks in your neck.” At a confirmation nod from Adora Glimmer relented, laying across Carta’s lap. “OK but be careeeeeee…..” the rest of her warning dissolved into a moan of pleasure as Catra’s hands went to work on turning Glimmer into a puddle. Adora idly thumbed through her phone and tried not to feel jealous as Catra grinned at her and continued here ministrations.

“Oh god Adora, her hands feel so good. We need to recruit her immediately.” Glimmers body went totally slack as Catra continued her massage, earning a string of appreciative sounds as she moved lower, working out the kinks in Glimmer’s shoulder muscles and spine.

“Hold your judgements until you see me on the court tomorrow.”

Several minutes of silence passed by, occasionally broken by a moan of pleasure from Glimmer, who was now slack and snoring softly in Catra’s lap, causing her to chuckle. “I see what you mean, poor thing was a wreck. Help me tuck her in.”

In a routine that was reminiscent of their days taking care of the younger kids, Adora and Catra managed to get Glimmer under the covers. True to form, Glimmer immediately turned around and latched onto Adora’s arm, still snoring softly.

Catra looked quizzically at Adora, who could only shrug in response. “She's a cuddler.” Moments later the lights were off and they were all in bed; Glimmer and the now trapped Adora on the right side, Catra on the left.

Adora tried to sleep, but her mind was restless, consumed with thoughts of Catra. Wondering what she had been through the last 6 months, what she could do to help, how she was ever going to…..

As usual, without shifting the bed Catra was suddenly against her back, one arm wrapped around Adora’s waist as their legs tangled together. “Catra, what...”

“Go to bed Adora, worry about it tomorrow.” Catra mumbled. “It won’t be fun beating you if you’re too tired to play right.” Feeling Catra against her back, as she had done so many times in the past, was a weight off Adora’s chest that she hadn’t known was there. Her eyes grew heavy, the day’s exhaustion finally catching up with her.

It was an odd feeling, being the middle spoon; Catra covering her back and breathing on her neck, Glimmer bundled up in her arms and twitching softly, hyperactive even when sleeping. But Adora found herself enjoying it, relishing the feeling of being surrounded by two people who meant the world to her.

She registered Catra whispering something like “And this isn't because I like you or anything.” before falling asleep, and Adora remained awake for a few minutes, listening to the gently melody created by Glimmer and Catra’s shared breathing. Her last thought before falling asleep was of how long it would be before she could hear such a harmony again.


End file.
